Turner County herald. (Hurley, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1887-06-30
w. @. II. u.
TEMPERANCE COLUMN
"A Few Words In Favor of Local o,..s
Given at the County Convention in
Hurley, June 8, 1887.

Given ut tile County Convention in s
| Hurley, June 8, 1887, u;
AS no law can be effective except !,
it is the creature of the popular vosa
it is generally vain to enact a law wbioN
has not sufficient public sentiment =
enforce it. Local Option invokes n,
aid of the law in the suppression of IN,
temperance, seeking to arouse mora, 4
conviction and develop public scntl 4
ment till they are strong enough Il
enact and enforce prohibitory measures
1t throws the responsibility of tbo
deadly traffic upon the people, by sinh.
mitting the question Of license or M
license to vote IN each county in on,
territory. You remember with what
anxiety we watched the proceedings Of
our legislature last winter, KNOWING
how indefatigably our brave tenper.
ance workers were toiling for prohiM.
tion. Failing to receive the full loaf
let us make the half loaf go as far AZ
| possible, remembering that lie who
| wrought the miracle OF the loaves and
fishes viii bless our efforts. 1t may bs
that as Dakota is not yet state. hay.
ing no constitution to be amended, this
was the better way. 1t is certainly
quite reasonable A vote upon this
question will create discussion, discus.
sion develops the necessary public sen.
timent. You recall the trite old saving I
"Agitation is Education" So let us
agitate, constantly agitate, laying upon
the consciences OF our intelligent voters
the startling array OF facts constantly
accommodating concerning financial loss,
increase of crime and vast amount OF
physical, mental and moral suffering
with which strong drink is grinding us
down. My friends, there is Suupend-
GUS and overwhelming array of argu-
ments which must affect the judgement
of our people, if fully and fairly pre-
sented. Let us remember every man
interviewed is so much work done to-
ward enforcing prohibition when
gained, the sentiment being quite as
important as the law, and so closely
allied with it that united they stand,
divided they fall"
Let us for moment look into the
Local Option law, where it has been
tried. have read that in 1872, when
the legislature Of Pennsylvania gave to
their people this law, it resulted in pro-
hibition in forty-one of the sixty coun-
ties Of the state. Possibly in the re-
naming counties, where public senti-
ment would not enforce prohibition, it
might as well not be made law. Let
US see to it that wherever prohibition
is gained its penalties shall be enforced,
that orr good be not evil spoken of,
thereby causing a reaction to set in at
the next election.
The history of the Local Option law
is that it destroys the liquor business.
And it is certainly most reasonable
manner of disposing of the question.
This being a government of the people,
by the people where a majority wish to
retain the saloon in a county, the tenn
perance people must submit with all
possible good grace and work all the
more earnestly in the future, be-
lieve, however, if a proper amount of
work be done, it will gain for us prohi-
bition in every county in our territory.
1t is everywhere conceded that we
have right to prohibit any businessm-
furious to the welfare of the commune
ty, the welfare of the people being the
supreme law. Blackstone says, Com
mon law requires that man should
not use his property to the injury of
another. The consent of the party in
iured is no mitigation of the offense"
Upon these just principles all our laws
limiting and regulating the business of
the country should be founded. Our
laws prohibit the publication and sale
of abscene literature, of lottery tickets
and of gambling. In many places law
determins height and location of build
ings; takes private lands for highways:
la" prevents the storing of explosive
materials in cities, the daming up of
water on ones own premises if the
health of others is injured by it, for
81 the welfare of the people is the
supreme law Therefore, my neigh
Dor has no right to engagein business
which puts the men of the town in to
such a frenzy as renders human life
and property insecure. Our Local
Option law proposes to secure the abol-
ishment of this traffic by calling upon
the people to determine by vote what
security they viii throw around person
and property, what safeguards shall be
established for public morals, and un-
def what educating influences they will
bring up their children. There is much
in favor of the Local Option law since
by this they are called upon to decide
definitely what their conscientious con-
Yictions are, to express those convic-
tions in a law OF their own making,
and further, to enforce the law thus
gained.
And now for a moment let us con-
slider q few Of our duties in this i'm.
poftant hour in our campaign.
First let us scatter temperance litera-
ture freely. LII we SOW it knee deep all
the better for the cause. Let some give
money, others organize, others speak
and Let none forget to pray.
Second, let us organize. All move
ments are uncertain unless conducted
by well organized bodies. Unorgsn-
ized sentiment is robbed of half its
power. Like an unorganized army it
VIII accomplish but little. The evil we
oppose has vast compact, wealthy
organization that can throw its whole
force upon any given point at a weeks
notice. BY the way, those who read
IaI 'Y1s.l = n